Chapter 861 – I Opened a Fake Live Stream (7)
In this new life, Wei Ci constantly worried about his mentor’s well-being, but the world had grown increasingly chaotic; a single letter was worth a fortune.
It took nearly six months for a letter to travel back and forth, and if luck ran out, the letters might even go missing.
Upon counting, Wei Ci realized it had been a long time since he had received a reply from his mentor.
Cheng Jing was under Huang Song’s command. Huang Song was located in Hao Prefecture, which was only a month’s journey from Langya County, making communication easier.
He said, “Recently, the teacher has had a series of happy events and has been doing well.”
“Oh? What happy events?”
Wei Ci’s face lit up. If Mr. Yuanjing was doing well, it would certainly make him feel better.
“Last year, a very talented student arrived at Langya Academy, and the teacher was thrilled. This person, though coming from a humble background and orphaned, has extraordinary talent and is quite handsome, with a natural mark resembling vermilion on his forehead. The Fifth Daughter took a liking to him at first sight. You know how much the teacher dotes on the Fifth Daughter; he has always worried about her marriage. Now that he has found a suitable match, how could he not be pleased? He’s helping to bring the two together.”
The “Fifth Daughter” Cheng Jing mentioned is Mr. Yuanjing’s youngest daughter, Zhu Qing Ning.
The Fifth Daughter has always had feelings for Wei Ci, but alas, the flowers have feelings while the waters run cold; the goddess dreams while the king is indifferent.
She wasn’t the type to merely cling to unrequited love. When Wei Ci outright rejected her, she suffered a moment and then let go.
Hearing that the Fifth Daughter was engaged, Wei Ci was initially happy for her. Yet, he soon furrowed his brow.
The male counterpart came from a humble background and was orphaned. Such a match was indeed subpar.
How could his teacher, who doted on the Fifth Daughter so much, choose such a son-in-law for her?
He had always viewed the Fifth Daughter as a daughter himself. To Wei Ci, the Fifth Daughter’s husband was naturally akin to a son-in-law. While Wei Ci did not mind his friends’ backgrounds, a father-in-law’s expectations for a son-in-law and a friend are not the same.
“Is this a choice made by the teacher, or is it the Fifth Daughter’s wish?”
Wei Ci was well aware of how much his teacher loved his daughter, wanting nothing less than to bring the stars and the moon to her.
Such a caring father, how could he pick such a husband for his daughter?
Cheng Jing sensed his concern and immediately understood what Wei Ci was hinting at.
He replied, “Even though the teacher dotes on the Fifth Daughter, he wouldn’t be so indulgent without principles. Since he has agreed to this marriage, it shows he is also satisfied… There must be something remarkable about that man. After all, as a father, he ultimately wishes for his children’s happiness.”
Wei Ci then asked, “Do you know his surname and given name? Where does he reside?”
In his previous life, he had accompanied his clan to Zhong Zhao, but his connections with friends had remained intact through letters.
He vaguely remembered that the Fifth Daughter later married one of his teacher’s students, who was a young talented man from Langya County.
However, after their grand wedding, the Fifth Daughter did not find happiness and ended up returning home due to certain reasons.
Cheng Jing thought for a moment and said, “I heard he is from Bian Prefecture in Zhong Zhao, surnamed Nie, given name Xun, courtesy name Cheng Yun.”
“Nie Xun?”
Wei Ci frowned, sifting through his memories but couldn’t find a trace.
Cheng Jing asked, “Has Zixiao heard of this person?”
Wei Ci shook his head. “I haven’t heard of him. Perhaps he has only recently come into prominence. It’s possible he’s a late bloomer.”
Whether in his past life or this, Wei Ci had never heard of Nie Xun, which raised a flag of suspicion.
You see, Wei Ci had lived in Zhong Zhao for several years. Although he was somewhat of an overlooked figure, he still attended social gatherings.
To speak frankly, he had met nearly every notable figure in Bian Prefecture.
If Nie Xun possessed talents worthy of Mr. Yuanjing’s attention, there was no reason for him to have been an unknown in his previous life.
As for that natural vermilion mark on the forehead, such a notable feature wouldn’t escape Wei Ci’s memory if he had ever met or heard of him.
Could it be that this Nie Xun was a new arrival in this life?
With that thought, Wei Ci felt relieved.
The differences between his past and present life are vast; even the state of the world has been distorted, let alone ordinary citizens.
However—
“This person is from Bian Prefecture in Zhong Zhao. What is his relation to the Nie Clan from Bian Prefecture?”
Wei Ci’s own clan, the Wei Clan of Langya, was an offshoot of the Wei Clan from Bian Prefecture. The former had fallen into decline, while the latter remained prosperous.
There were two major families in Bian Prefecture: the Wei Clan and the Nie Clan, who had intermarried for generations and had a very close relationship.
Of course, this wasn’t the main point.
The key point was that the Nie Clan had become a dominant force in this chaotic era, being the third-to-last noble faction eliminated by the Emperor.
In the past, there were no fewer than twenty lords in the realm, and for the Nie Clan to endure until then showcases their strength.
Naturally, after the Nie Clan’s submission, they stirred the pot quite a bit.
Wei Ci thought of this and his expression grew cold.
For the “Crown Prince Case” during the eighteenth year of Jiang Zhao’s Yong Chen, the Nie Clan had been quite influential behind the scenes.
Besides prominent clans like the Nie and Wei, other noble families had meddled too.
If it weren’t for their instigations and schemes, the result wouldn’t have turned out that way!
While he bore some responsibility for insufficient education with the Emperor, ultimately, it was these ambitious noble families that were to blame.
Cheng Jing chuckled and said, “It is said that Nie Xun is an adopted son of a side branch of the Nie Clan. If he truly came from the Nie Clan, how could he be considered from humble beginnings?”
Precisely because he was an adopted son with an unclear background—having lost his adoptive parents at an early age—Nie Xun was looked down upon.
Wei Ci mused, “That is indeed the case. But… with such ties to the Nie Clan, why did he come to Dongqing to pursue his studies?”
Mr. Yuanjing was indeed well-known, a master among masters, yet families like the Nie Clan always practiced internal education, arrogantly considering figures like Mr. Yuanjing to be unworthy. Even though Mr. Yuanjing’s students were all exceptional, they were often criticized by these families.
For Nie Xun to come to Dongqing to study and become Mr. Yuanjing’s son-in-law—wasn’t that a slap to the Nie Clan’s face?
Cheng Jing explained, “Well… I’ve heard that Nie Xun isn’t a native of Zhong Zhao; he hails from Dongqing… Perhaps he came here to look for relatives? Although he carries the Nie surname, the Nie Clan doesn’t acknowledge him. He might as well establish himself elsewhere.”
In a chaotic world, heroes rise; while one sings, another takes the stage. If Nie Xun truly has talent, he could shine in the world outside the Nie Clan.
Wei Ci nodded, agreeing but saying nothing more.
He didn’t hold much curiosity about Nie Xun; his inquiries were simply due to the fact that the other was the Fifth Daughter’s husband.
Reunion among fellow disciples naturally led to endless conversations.
Wei Ci asked about the whereabouts of others, and after a moment of hesitation, Cheng Jing said, “Wen Bin has recently written, seemingly planning to visit Zhejun.”
Wen Bin was, of course, referring to Han Yu.
Wei Ci remembered that Han Yu had served under Xu Pei in his previous life, and hearing that he was heading to Zhejun, he wasn’t surprised at all.
“What about Shaoyin? It’s been a long time since I heard any news from her.” Wei Ci asked again.
He remembered that Lü Zheng had allied with Huang Song in his previous life. After Huang Song’s defeat and self-termination, Lü Zheng had held out in the last remaining fortress and refused to surrender.
When the city fell, he had wept blood and cursed before leaping from the city walls.
If nothing had changed in this life, then Shaoyin should be searching for Huang Song now.
To Wei Ci’s surprise, Cheng Jing also didn’t know Lü Zheng’s whereabouts.
“Half a year ago, Shaoyin said she wanted to go to the alliance meeting to gain some experience; since then, there’s been no other news.”
Wei Ci choked for a moment and then shook his head helplessly.
Lü Zheng was also an adult, a clever one at that—he was unlikely to suffer losses.
